Jealousy and Hairbrushes
by Fenrir's Bane
Summary: Seeing Cecil and Rosa spending most of their time together, Kain can't help but feel alone. Can be CecilxKain if you squint right.


"Jealousy and Hairbrushes"

Disclaimer: I do not Final Fantasy IV, Squeenix, or anything else. I do own the hairbrush...but seeing as its a fictional hairbrush I guess you can have it.

"What in the world are you doing, Kain?" Cecil smiled at the older boy who was, at that moment, sitting on his bed attacking his tangled blond locks with a brush.

"Brushing my hair." Kain glowered up at the dark knight who stood in the doorway of the room.

"More like mutilating it."

"It's my hair, I'll do what I want with it." He ran the brush through his hair again, only to yank it out in frustration at his hair's refusal to cooperate.

Cecil walked over to Kain and held out his hand. "Let me see that."

Kain looked suspiciously up at the dark knight. "Why?"

"If you're intent on getting that mop you call hair brushed, at the very least let someone who can do it without killing it brush it."

The dragoon sighed heavily before handing the brush to the younger boy.

The dark knight sat on the bed beside the dragoon then looked over at him. "Sit on the floor."

"Uhh why?"

"So I can reach your hair better."

"…fine…" Kain lowered himself onto the floor leaning back against the mattress.

"Ok…" Cecil maneuvered himself until Kain was positioned between his knees. "There." He calmly started brushing the blond locks, working carefully with the more serious tangles, trying not to hurt the other boy. "How'd it get so tangled anyway?"

"Training…" Kain muttered low enough so Cecil didn't hear him.

"What'd you say?"

"It got tangled while I was training," he said louder this time.

"Oh. Ok." An easy silence enveloped the pair. Under the brush's hypnotic strokes Kain began to relax more, shifting to find a more comfortable position. As he shifted his arm grazed against Cecil's thigh. The dark knight stiffened his rhythm faltered slightly before steadying again, unnoticed by the dragoon. After a while, Cecil broke the silence. "Rosa would never let me brush her hair like this."

"Probably too afraid you'd maul it."

Cecil grinned. "Yeah."

"Haven't seen too much of you lately."

"Hm. Practice takes up a lot of my time. That and my studies."

"And Rosa." the dragoon muttered darkly.

Cecil grinned again, either not noticing or ignoring Kain's less than friendly tone. "Yeah. Whenever I get time off she comes and begs me to spend time with her." He happily wandered off into his thoughts of the blond-haired girl. Kain sighed. The dark knight looked down, concerned, at the older boy. "Something wrong?"

"I miss you."

"Huh?" His hand stopped in mid-stroke.

"Never mind."

"No I heard you…but I don't understand."

"We're friends right Cecil?" he turned slightly in order to see the younger's face.

"Of course!"

"Well we never spend time together anymore!"

A confused look crossed Cecil's face. "Sure we do. We train together twice a week."

"That's not what I mean!" Kain stood abruptly, walking over to the other side of the room. "I meant just as friends. Used to, after training, we'd go goof off somewhere, or pull pranks on people or just hang out." Kain paused and looked back at Cecil, eyes clearly showing the hurt he felt. "But now, every time we finish, Rosa's there to take you away." He sighed, sitting down on the edge of Cecil's bed, forehead resting in his hands.

Cecil blinked, trying to process all that his friend had just told him. He put aside the brush, stood, and walked over to him. "Kain?" he said tentatively. When the older boy didn't look up, he knelt in front of him. "Kain…I'm sorry." When Kain still didn't respond, Cecil slowly reached out and gently touched his cheek. Kain started at the touch and looked up briefly before turning his gaze back to the floor. Cecil sighed and forced the other boy's face up. Staring down at those hurt unbelieving eyes, the dark knight felt his heart clench. "I didn't realize that Rosa was taking so much of my time, or that it hurt you so much. I know I've been a lousy friend but…please forgive me." Not thinking, only following instinct, Cecil lowered his head and pressed a light kiss between the shining eyes of the dragoon.

Kain stiffened slightly at the feeling of chapped lips brushing his face. Tears, once held back, broke through the dams and flowed freely down. Cecil sat beside his friend and pulled him into a tight embrace. Tentatively, the young dragoon snaked his arms around the dark knight and rested his forehead on the shoulder of the other. "Thank you," he whispered once he was able to speak through the tears.

Cecil smiled down at Kain and pulled him even closer. "You're welcome." 


End file.
